The present invention relates to separating apparatus and, in particular, to a lamella clarifier which separates the heavier fluid or fluidized solid matter from lighter fluid or fluidized solid matter by gravity.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,306,456, dated Feb. 28, 1967, by the present inventor and another discloses an apparatus having a circular lamella design. The circular lamella design was developed to remove sub-micron particles of ferrous hydroxide form basic electrolytes in the electro-chemical machining process.
It is essential that a lamella operate under laminar flow conditons. Thus, with an increasing flow rate more element plates are required. Conventional lamellas have the top of the inclined plates above the liquid level and are not suitable for immergence-type systems. The design of U.S. Pat. No. 3,306,456, contemplates operation of the apparatus as an immersible device. This design includes downwardly directed integral inlet baffles to supply quiescent, smooth, non-agitated entrance liquid into the troughs. As described in the aforesaid patent, it was found that occassionally overlapping baffles may contact each other disrupting the flow and it was found desirable that only every fourth member of the stack have the baffle. Baffles of the intermediate members were removed, but it has been found that this may cause problems with turbulent flow entering the troughs where there are no baffles. In addition, removal of the baffles presented significant difficulties in manufacturing.